Hold Congress Accountable

Knowledge is power. It makes sure people understand what is happening to their country, and how they can make a difference. FreedomWorks University will give you the tools to understand economics, the workings of government, the history of the American legal system, and the most important debates facing our nation today. Enroll in FreedomWorks University today!

Resources

Blog

How much of ObamaCare is "severable"?

Today, the Supreme Court took up the question: If some of ObamaCare is unconstitutional, can any of the remainder be allowed to stand?

Or to put it in legal parlance, is the individual mandate to purchase health insurance "severable" from the rest of the 2,801-page Act?

The chart above conveys the answer better than any legal brief:

In this enormous law, all of the myriad parts are interwoven and therefore the law should be struck down in its entirety.

By the way, the chart, titled "Your New Health Care System," was first released in July of 2010 by Joint Economic Committee Republicans to help the American people, in the words of then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi, "find out is in" the controversial law.

Last week, on the 2nd anniversary of the law's enactment, the JEC Republicans re-released the chart, together with an explanatory document, which I cheerfully pass on as a public service:

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of the Treasury, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have issued new guidance that will make it easier for states to get waivers from certain mandates under Section 1332 of the so-called “Affordable Care Act,” also known as the “ACA” or “ObamaCare.” The goal of the new guidance is to provide consumers with more private insurance options in the nongroup health insurance market.

On behalf of our activist community, I urge you to contact your senators and ask them to vote NO on the Resolution to Undo the Expansion of Short-Term Limited Duration Health Plans, S.J.Res. 63, sponsored by Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.). The resolution would use the Congressional Review Act to overturn a rule issued earlier this year by the Trump administration that expanded consumer access to short-term, limited-duration (STLD) health plans. STLD plans offer some of the only relief to consumers have as of now from ObamaCare’s Title I regulations that have driven health insurance costs through the roof.

On behalf of FreedomWorks’ activist community, I urge you to contact your senators and urge them to vote YES on the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court. Judge Kavanaugh is a worthy nominee who will interpret the Constitution as written and stop unconstitutional government expansion.

FreedomWorks is proud to honor Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) as the member of the month for October 2018. He serves in the House of Representatives for North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District, located in the southwest corner of the state.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act achieved many goals. It delivered a historic reform of the individual tax code, lowered individual and corporate tax rates, and boosted economic growth. Indeed, the United States’ economy will most likely see 3 percent annual growth this year for the first time since 2005.

There was no shortage of fireworks in the Senate Judiciary Committee during the first day of the confirmation hearing for Judge Brett Kavanaugh, who has received a "well-qualified" rating from the American Bar Association. Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) hadn’t even completed the first sentence of his opening statement before Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) interrupted, beginning nearly 90 minutes of obstruction by Democrats who serve on the committee and frequent outbursts from protestors in the audience.

On Wednesday, the Senate voted on an amendment offered by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) to the most recent minibus, H.R. 6147, that would have prohibited the use of funds to carry out the individual health insurance mandate recently passed by D.C. Council. Noncompliance with D.C.’s individual mandate could result in the seizure of private property.

The Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Labor, and the Department of the Treasury have released a final rule that expands short-term, limited-duration health insurance plans. The rule, which will be published on Friday and take effect in 60 days, will expand these plans to 12 months from three months and allow renewability for up to 36 months.

On behalf of FreedomWorks’ activist community, I urge you to contact your senators and ask them to vote YES on the Healthcare Choice Amendment, No. 3402, to the Interior, Environmental, Financial Services, and General Government Appropriations Act, H.R. 6147, offered by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas). This amendment would prohibit funds from being used to carry out the District of Columbia’s recently-passed Health Insurance Requirement Act.

Update: H.R. 6311 has been posted to the House Rules Committee's website. The bill is the vehicle for the Increasing Access to Lower Premium Plans and Expanding Health Savings Accounts Act. The bill now includes the text of H.R. 6313, H.R. 6306, H.R. 6309, H.R. 6314, and H.R. 5963. Although the bill still expands the eligibility for catastrophic health plans to individuals older than 30, the language that would expand ObamaCare's premium tax has been removed.